Tag Archives: technology

Have DeLorean, will (time) travel

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DeLorean

Back to the Future - 80's classic car the DeLorean DMC-12

Some people buy a car because they like the curve of its rear wheel arch. Some buy a car because it represents a slice of motoring history, or so they can do it up and make a motza from it. Some people even buy a car as a no-nonsense runabout and use it to pick up the kids from school.

But time travel? Not usually on people’s lists when they check their local vehicle classifieds.

Just as well one car was built with the express purpose of bending the space-time continuum. It’s the only set of wheels you need if ever you fancy checking out Hendrix during his heyday. That car is, of course, the DeLorean DMC-12.

Word of warning, though. The DeLorean’s era-hopping prowess has been known to malfunction. At least it did in Back to the Future, the high-grossing film franchise from the 1980s that made the DeLorean a household name.

Not that the car’s tendency towards temporal hiccups has ever deterred James Politino. For him, the car’s cultural cachet, downright zaniness and rarity on Australian streets were reason enough to import one from the United States. And soon after he did, he imported another…

Read the full story in the July Edition of Australian Classic Car.

If you could drive any car in the universe, what would you drive?

Driverless Cars – Taking YOU out of Driving

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driverless car

The driverless car - would you drive one?

We’re inherently lazy things, and ever since ol’ Karl Benz invented the car we’ve been trying to think up ways to get the things to drive for us. Airplanes can do it for goodness sake!

The most serious attempts to build a driverless car began back in the 1970s with a group of, funnily enough, Japanese enthusiasts. They failed. But mankind pushed on and eventually America got involved, or rather the American Army got involved. The Defence Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA) kicked off its Grand Challenge in 2004. Enter Google, which recently lost a court case in the States to allow its driverless cars (a driver does sit behind the wheel, but the car does all the work unless it’s an emergency) to cruise the highways and byways.

Fast forward to now and BMW has announced it has built and tested a driverless car that’s almost ready to take on the Autobahn. According to the press pack (and this really is like reading the Total Recall script about the Johnny Cabs), ‘researchers have equipped a BMW 5 Series with intelligent software as well as vision assistance and environment detection systems. The advanced automated assistance function for motorway journeys can be activated with the push of a button. From this point on, the prototype system can autonomously control acceleration and braking, and it can safely pass slower vehicles.

‘One of the greatest challenges early in the project involved reacting to vehicles merging on to the motorway at exit and access points – but even this problem could be solved with a cooperative approach. The prototype system reacts to the situation by allowing the merging vehicles to join the traffic flow, and it can even change lanes giving the merging vehicles adequate space to enter traffic safely. This is possible up to a speed of 130km/h, but in compliance with current traffic regulations regarding speed limits and such things as prohibited passing zones.’

BMW admits it isn’t ready just yet to roll out its ‘auto pilot’ and that the next stage in its development is to ‘teach’ the prototype how to deal with road construction sites and motorway junctions.

How comfortable would you be with a car that, on the freeway at least, was able to do the driving for you?

Tweeting while driving

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woman texting while driving

Do you tweet while driving?

Nowadays, a handheld device can do a whole lot more than just call or text. You can use it as a GPS, keep up with online traffic reports, see what people are tweeting about, or check the status of your friends via social networks.

In a survey of 500 drivers by NRMA Insurance, 10% admitted to using social networking sites to check their Facebook or Twitter profiles or post updates while they were driving (and those are the ones that actually admitted it!).

It follows a similar survey which found almost 50% of drivers admitted to talking and texting on their mobile phones while driving.

The desire to always be mobile and accessible is growing despite the fact that using a handheld device while driving is illegal. The offence carries a heavy fine and the loss of three demerit points.

Do you use a mobile phone while driving to tweet or update your status? Do you think it impairs your driving or is any more dangerous than using your car stereo?

NB: The NRMA advises drivers who need to use their mobile phone for either texting or using a social networking site, to pull over before using their phones.

Hybrid vehicle update

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In mid-2006 we looked at hybrid technology, its place in the market and where it was headed. Two years on, the theory behind hybrid vehicles hasn’t changed, but has the technology? We decided it was time for an update.

The escalating price of oil has meant car manufacturers have been forced to try and make cars more fuel efficient. Of course, while this doesn’t mean their entire focus has been on fuel efficiency and its alternatives – evidenced by the launch of the Hummer H3 in Australia, and new, thirsty Commodore and Falcon ranges – the world has adopted a ‘green’ attitude to almost everything, motor vehicles included, and hybrids, most notably Toyota’s Prius, have been widely promoted as the way of the future. With the price of petrol only going up, they may well be!

Hybrid technology

Hybrid technology has improved in recent years – not greatly, but new ideas on refinement are in development.

The third generation Toyota Prius is on the way. It will debut at the Detroit Motor Show in 2009 and has a 1.8 litre engine (larger than the current model) delivering 100bhp but with 12 per cent improved fuel consumption.

Battery technology is on the improve with researchers in Australia having created what could be called a lead-acid battery on steroids, capable of performing as well as the nickel/metal hydride systems, found in most hybrid cars, at a much lower cost. This battery combines the traditional 150 year old lead acid battery with super capacitors – electronic devices that can quickly absorb and release large bursts of energy over millions of cycles without significant degradation. As a result the battery may last up to 4 times longer than conventional lead/acid batteries and cost 25 per cent less to produce than existing hybrid battery packs. These batteries were tested in the United Kingdom earlier this year and found to be in perfect condition after 100,000 miles on a test track.

At the moment consumers can expect to pay up to $5000 for a replacement battery pack. However with this new technology a hybrid owner will pay around $1000, depending on demand volume. This in itself makes owning a hybrid vehicle a much more appealing and long-term option.

There are also great advances being made with the lithium ion battery which is lighter, stronger and more compact than the nickel metal hydride batteries currently used.

Hybrids in Australia

The number of hybrids available locally is increasing.

• Currently available are –
   o Honda Civic
   o Toyota Prius
   o Lexus RX400H
   o Lexus GS450H
   o Lexus LS600H
• Hyundai are looking at bringing a hybrid vehicle to Australia that runs partly on battery and partly on LPG. This system is up and running in Korea, with great cost savings for the consumer. (Bear in mind that excise will be placed on LPG in 2011, rising to 12.5 cents per litre by 2015.)
• Toyota recently announced it will be manufacturing a hybrid version of the Camry in Australia with support from the Federal Government.

However, even though Toyota recently reached a million Prius sales worldwide (the first and most successful mass-produced petrol/electric hybrid), only 9,300 of those were in Australia. Relatively poor sales may be because the technology is seen as eccentric, they’re not viewed as cost-effective or long waiting lists have put off potential buyers.

Do you drive a hybrid? What do you like and/or dislike about it? Do you intend to buy one in the near future and if so what and why?

Space-saver tyres

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Today a full size spare tyre is a rarity.

Most manufacturers provide only space-saver or speed limited tyres, and sometimes no tyre at all, with an inflator kit or run-flat tyre considered enough for the job.

The car companies can argue that with modern technology and better roads a flat is now a rare event, but we’re still having punctures. And there’s no denying the practicality of a full size spare tyre if you’re a long way from the nearest town.

We’d like to hear your thoughts and experiences on the subject.